Published 20:21 IST, January 5th 2019

'8-year-old Narendra Modi never dared to dream about becoming the Prime Minister of India,' says the Prime Minister while talking about his childhood

Humans of Bombay, the portal known to narrate stories of life became the medium of one such story that has never been looked beyond a political lens, that is of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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'8-year-old Narendra Modi never dared to dream about becoming the Prime Minister of India,' says the Prime Minister while talking about his childhood

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Humans of Bombay, the portal known to narrate stories of life became the medium of one such story that has never been looked beyond a political lens, that is of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Sharing excerpts from his childhood, he told stories of his parents, his first step into RSS at the age of 8 and his journey from a young boy to the Prime Minister of India today.

"This was the beginning of everything that I am today & I didn’t even know it at the time," he said.

Speaking of the 8 year old Narendra Modi reaching at this point in life, he said, "So if you ask the 8-year-old Narendra Modi, running around serving chai & cleaning his father’s tea stall, whether he even dared to dream about becoming the Prime Minister of India, his answer would be no. Never. It was too far to even think about."

READ | 'Would Hear About Bambai & Wonder Will I Get To See The City Of Dreams?’: PM Modi Shares His Time Working At His Father's Tea Stall

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(1/5) “My family of 8 lived in a 40x12 feet house–it was small, but enough for us. Our days began at 5 AM when my mother would provide traditional forms of curing & healing to newborns & small children. All night, my brother & I would keep the ‘chula’ going for her to use. She didn’t have the fortune of getting an education, but God was kind & she had a special way of curing ailments. Mothers would line up outside our home because she was known for her healing touch. Then, I would open my father’s tea stall at the railway station, clean up & go to school. As soon as school ended, I would rush back to help him, but what I really looked forward to was meeting people from all over India. I would serve them tea & listen to their stories–that’s how I learnt to speak Hindi. I would hear some traders speak about ‘Bambai’ & wonder, ‘Will I ever get to see the city of dreams?’ I was always curious–I’d go to the library & read everything I could get my hands on. I was 8 when I attended my first RSS meeting & 9 when I was a part of an effort to better the lives of others–I set up a food stall with my friends to help the victims of floods in parts of Gujarat. I wanted to do more, but knew we had little means. Still, even at that age, I believed that God has made us all alike. It didn’t matter what circumstances I was born into, I could be something more. So when you ask me what my struggles were, I’ll tell you that I had none. I came from nothing, knew no luxury & hadn’t seen a ‘better’ life, so in my small world...I was happy. If the way was ever difficult, I made my own way. I had a great need to look sharp & groomed. So even though we couldn’t afford an iron, I would heat coal, use an old ‘lota’, wrap a cloth around it & press my clothes–the effect was the same, then why complain? This was the beginning of everything that I am today & I didn’t even know it at the time. So if you ask the 8 year old Narendra Modi, running around serving chai & cleaning his father’s tea stall, whether he even dared to dream about becoming the Prime Minister of India, his answer would be no. Never. It was too far to even think about.” #TheModiStory

A post shared by Humans of Bombay (@officialhumansofbombay) on Jan 5, 2019 at 2:32am PST

READ| "Mother Was Known For Her Healing Touch," PM Narendra Modi Draws A Chunk Of Nostalgia From His Childhood

Updated 20:38 IST, January 5th 2019

Narendra Modi